Nick Clegg Steps Down from Meta
Nick Clegg, the former Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and President of Global Affairs at Meta, has announced his resignation after six impactful years with the organisation. In a message posted on X, Clegg expressed, “As a new year begins, I have come to the view that this is the right time for me to move on from my role as President, Global Affairs at Meta. It truly has been an adventure of a lifetime!”
Clegg continued by stating, “I am proud of the work I have been able to do leading and supporting teams across the company to ensure innovation can go hand in hand with increased transparency and accountability, and with new forms of governance.”
Joel Kaplan, currently serving as Clegg’s deputy, will assume the position of Chief Global Affairs Officer. Kaplan previously held the role of Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy under President George W. Bush from 2006 to 2009.
Clegg remarked on their professional relationship, saying, “Over the years that we have worked together, we have become good friends as well as close colleagues – I have laughed with, as well as learned from, Joel in equal measure. He is quite clearly the right person for the right job at the right time!” He also mentioned, “I look forward to spending the next few months handing over the reins to Joel before finally leaving Meta after so many enjoyable years at the company.”
Background on Nick Clegg
Clegg became part of Facebook (now Meta) in 2018 as Vice President for Global Affairs and Communications during a critical period that followed the Cambridge Analytica data scandal and the company’s role in the 2016 US presidential election. In 2022, he was elevated to Chief Policy Officer after playing a pivotal role in the establishment of the Facebook Oversight Board, which is an independent entity responsible for decisions on content moderation.
Before his election to the UK Parliament in 2005, Clegg had a notable career at the European Commission and served for five years as a Member of the European Parliament. He emerged as the leader of the Liberal Democrat Party in 2007 and later held the position of Deputy Prime Minister in the UK’s first coalition government since World War II, serving from 2010 to 2015.
